Boomerang spam bombs Malwarebytes forum—not a smart move

Tech support scammers are generally not the best and brightest. As such, they will occasionally post ads for their fake companies in the comment sections here or on the Malwarebytes forums. Last week, however, scammers struggled with configuring their spambots, resulting in spam bombs on the foru...

Stolen security logos used to falsely endorse PUPs

To gain the trust of users, many websites and companies feature the logos of reputable firms who endorse their products. Unfortunately, some unseemly companies do the same, using logos of companies who have not, in fact, endorsed their product in order to trick people into thinking that what they...

Tech support scammers make browser lockers more resilient

Tech support scammers have been relying on fraudulent pop-ups for many years in order to scare potential victims into calling for remote assistance. These so-called browser lockers or browlocks typically originate from malicious ads malvertising that can appear on any website, including trusted...

A week in security (December 11 – December 17)

Last week we explained what fast flux is and how it's being abused, we showed you all kinds of Bitcoin-related scams, presented a video recording of a tech support scammer trying to sell free software, and pointed out some free software to keep an eye on your Internet traffic. We also informed yo...

Tech support scammer tries to sell free software

AmericaGeeks is your typical tech support scam company, but with an extra warming glow of attitude, greed, and complete all-around rudeness. Most scams will gladly take your money by buttering up the victim while simultaneously scaring them into thinking that they are in a dangerous situation wit...

Use TeamViewer? Fix this dangerous permissions bug with an update

TeamViewer, the remote control/web conference program used to share files and desktops, is suffering from a case of "patch it now." Issued yesterday, the fix addresses an issue where one user can gain control of another's PC without permission. Windows, Mac, and LinuxOS are all apparently affecte...

TeamViewer Rushes Fix for Permissions Bug

Remote support software company TeamViewer said Tuesday it issued a hotfix for a bug that allows users sharing a desktop session to gain control of the other’s computer without permission. The bug was first publicized by a Reddit user “xpl0yt” on Monday who linked to a proof-of-concept example of...

CVE-2017-2730

HUAWEI HiLink APP for IOS versions earlier before 5.0.25.306 and HUAWEI Tech Support APP for IOS versions earlier before 5.0.0 have an information leak vulnerability. When an iPhone with these APPs installed access the Wi-Fi hotpot built by attacker, the attacker can collect the information of...

CVE-2017-2730

HUAWEI HiLink APP for IOS versions earlier before 5.0.25.306 and HUAWEI Tech Support APP for IOS versions earlier before 5.0.0 have an information leak vulnerability. When an iPhone with these APPs installed access the Wi-Fi hotpot built by attacker, the attacker can collect the information of...

CVE-2017-2730

CVE-2017-2730 affects Huawei HiLink (iOS) and Huawei Tech Support (iOS) apps prior to 5.0.25.306 and 5.0.0, respectively. The issue is an information-leak vulnerability where, when an iPhone running these apps connects to a Wi‑Fi hotspot set up by an attacker, the attacker can collect the phone’s...

New tech support scam launches communication or phone call app

A new tech support scam technique streamlines the entire scam experience, leaving potential victims only one click or tap away from speaking with a scammer. We recently found a new tech support scam website that opens your default communication or phone call app, automatically prompting you to ca...

Labs report: summer ushers in unprecedented season of breaches

In this edition of the Malwarebytes Cybercrime Tactics and Techniques report for the third quarter of 2017, we saw a number of high profile breaches targeting the personal information of hundreds of millions of people. While the Equifax breach may have dominated the news cycle, notable attacks...

A week in security (September 25 – October 01)

Recently, we talked about the hacking incident at Deloitte, one of the 'big four' global accounting firms. It was reported that client email addresses, usernames, and passwords were exposed. This also brought to light weaknesses in their policies and lack of threat intelligence to recover leaked...

Tech support scammers abuse native ad and content provider Taboola to serve malvertising (updated)

A large number of publishers - big and small - are monetizing their sites by selling space for companies that provide so-called native advertising, cited as more effective and engaging than traditional banner ads. Indeed, on a news or entertainment site, users are more inclined to click on links...

A week in security (September 18 – September 24)

Last week, we kept you updated on our blog about the infected versions of CCleaner that were offered as downloads on the official servers. We also warned you against a fake IRS notice that delivers a customized spying tool, some of the threats currently facing gamers, and a Netflix scam that has...

FTC providing partial refunds for Advanced Tech Support victims

Last month, the FTC announced the recovery of 10 million dollars from Advanced Tech Support, one of the most successful US-based tech support scammers ever. This money will be put towards partial refunds for victims of ATS who purchased products or services from them between April 2012 and Novemb...

'HoeflerText' Popups Target Browsers With RAT and Locky Ransomware

A malware campaign utilizing bogus popups that alert users to a missing web-font is targeting Google Chrome and Firefox browser users. The popups contain a malicious JavaScript file that initiates the download of either the NetSupport Manager remote access tool RAT or Locky ransomware. The...

How a Citadel Trojan Developer Got Busted

A U.S. District Court judge in Atlanta last week handed a five year prison sentence to Mark Vartanyan, a Russian hacker who helped develop and sell the once infamous and widespread Citadel banking trojan. This fact has been reported by countless media outlets, but far less well known is the...

Report: Second quarter dominated by ransomware outbreaks

The second quarter of 2017 brought ransomware to unprecedented levels with worldwide outbreaks that went almost out of control. In scenarios reminiscent of yesteryears worms, WannaCry created global panic as it used a critical vulnerability in the SMBv1 protocol to propagate like wildfire. Within...

FBI: Extortion, CEO Fraud Among Top Online Fraud Complaints in 2016

Online extortion, tech support scams and phishing attacks that spoof the boss were among the most costly cyber scams reported by consumers and businesses last year, according to new figures from the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center IC3. The IC3 report released Thursday correctly identifies...